Turning the tide against drunken driving

To paraphrase a line from one of America’s greatest writers, the late Kurt Vonnegut Jr., writing anti-drunken driving editorials has seemed a little like writing anti-tide editorials.

Staff reports

To paraphrase a line from one of America’s greatest writers, the late Kurt Vonnegut Jr., writing anti-drunken driving editorials has seemed a little like writing anti-tide editorials.

They might make the writer feel better for the effort but have little or no practical impact.

At least that’s the way it’s seemed over the years.

The latest drunken driving statistics and the effects of Melanie’s Law, the tough anti-drunken driving law the Legislature passed about a year ago, show the effort may be paying off after all.

The combination of tougher laws and increased enforcement seems to be having an effect.

Through New Year’s Day, Salem, as is the case with all Bay State communities, will use a $2,000 grant from the State Police to step up drunken-driving patrols.

Police had already planned to increase patrols without the additional funding.

Even without Melanie’s Law, Massachusetts drunken driving statistics were going down, following the national trend, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.

In 2004, the state recorded 476 highway deaths — 207 were alcohol related, with 169 involving at least one driver over the legal blood-alcohol level of .08.

In 2005, the state had 442 highway deaths, with almost all of the decrease coming from a drop in alcohol-related fatalities. Alcohol-related deaths totaled 171, with 134 involving at least one driver over the legal limit.

Nationally, deaths involving at least one driver over the legal limit dropped from 13,099 in 2004 to 12,945 in 2005, and 23 states saw a drop in both alcohol-related deaths and deaths involving a driver over the legal limit.

The highway safety administration keeps statistics on accidents involving both drivers who have alcohol in their systems but are under the legal limit and those drivers who are legally drunk.

With almost a year of Melanie’s Law under its belt, indications are the state may see further reductions when 2006 statistics become available.

Among other changes, the law increased the penalties for refusing a Breathalyzer test, allowed for impounding of cars driven by drunken drivers, required a lifetime loss of driver’s licenses for drivers convicted for a fifth time of drunken driving, required an increase in the mandatory jail sentence from two to five years for drivers convicted of manslaughter by motor vehicle and gave prosecutors the power to introduce past drunken- driving convictions as evidence in court.

Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicle statistics show the law has affected drunken driving:

• Arrests for repeat drunken-driving offences are down from 445 to 231 since the law took effect;

• The number of drivers agreeing to Breathalyzer tests has jumped 18 percent;

• Arrests for drunken driving have increased from 11,830 to 12,161;

• And the number of drivers using systems that require the driver to pass a built-in Breathalyzer test before the car will start has increased 17 percent.

The reduction in repeat offenders is particularly important because the National Transportation Safety Board says 53.5 percent, 9,414 deaths in 2006, involved what the board calls “hard-core drinking drivers” — those who are repeat offenders or who have blood alcohol levels over .15 percent.

None of which is to say we all shouldn’t go out and have a rip-roaring time New Year’s Eve. Sing “Twist and Shout” at the top of your lungs in off-key harmony with your buddies. Dance the night away. Blow the party horns. Use the mistletoe well. Pop the Champagne cork.

Just don’t drive afterward — live to tell the tale of what a great New Year’s Eve you had.